Editor’s Note: Congratulations to our next Channel Kindness Award winner Isabella Delaney! Thank you for helping us build a kinder and braver world!
As we all know, kindness is contagious! While we should be careful of the spread of COVID-19, kindness is something that we can continue to spread, even in these difficult times.
Child Haven is an amazing foster care organization located in Las Vegas, Nevada. They provide kids and teens with a place to stay when they have nowhere else to go, and they do their best to help kids return to safe and loving homes. Over the summer, my mom and I learned that recently Child Haven had been experiencing a shortage of dental hygiene supplies, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and mouthwash.
Child Haven was already overwhelmed, and the COVID-19 pandemic only added to this chaos. We wanted to help. We knew we could not mend all their struggles, but every small act of kindness does make a difference. Thus, we started with a smile.
The opportunity to help Child Haven compelled me to apply for a grant with the Born This Way Foundation, and, guess what? My project was approved!
After speaking with Jasmine Moniz, a representative for the Born This Way Foundation, I fortified my plan of creating 90 dental hygiene kits, each complete with a short note, quote, and picture of an inspirational figure. To protect ninety smiles and to urge them to shine just a little brighter.
Over the course of several weeks, the packages of materials for my project began to arrive in the mail. Throughout this time, I began creating the kits, and they ended up looking great!
We wondered which kind of supplies would be most beneficial: large containers of various products or small travel-sized materials. We decided that smaller materials, packed into dental hygiene kits would be most beneficial since they could be easily transported by kids between homes or organizations.
In each bag, I added toothpaste, mouthwash, and a toothbrush, along with a card displaying an influential figure and a short message. There is an abundance of inspirational people out there, both currently and in the past, and I think that it is important that we, not only the kids at Child Haven, all look up to them.
As I got in contact with representatives with Child Haven, my grandma, Joy Erickson, and I drove to Child Haven and delivered all ninety dental hygiene kits.
Since the pandemic is still upon us, when we reached the facility, we called a representative, and she met us outside with a golf cart. We loaded up the boxes of care kits, and we learned that if anyone else is interested in helping them, they can always use new socks and underwear for the kids and teens! And don’t worry, we made sure to keep our masks on the entire time!
While we have all been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, some people need more help than others at this time, and, within our communities, nation, and world, we should try our best to support others. Child Haven is not the only organization who can benefit from kindness, so I encourage you to get out and find a place or person to help! There is power in understanding that we can make a difference. We simply have to reach out and make it happen.
Kindness is possible at any time, and it is more important now than ever. Just remember: it all starts with a smile!
